… Roads, Galamsey Send Repair Bill Past $20m
By Prince Ahenkorah
Road construction under the government’s Big Push programme and illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, have emerged as the two leading causes of fibre cuts across Ghana, threatening telecommunications infrastructure and increasing the cost of maintaining network services.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, disclosed that road construction accounts for approximately 49 percent of fibre cuts recorded in the country, while illegal mining activities are responsible for about 25 percent.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, September 7, 2026, the Minister revealed that Ghana had recorded 8,578 fibre cuts so far this year, with telecommunications operators spending more than US$20 million on repairs.
He said the huge cost of repairing damaged fibre infrastructure was diverting resources that could otherwise be invested in expanding telecommunications coverage and building new network sites.
“And the cost of that alone is over US$20 million in repairing fibre cuts. That’s money that without the fibre cut we could have used to build new sites. It’s not because there is no service, but because the fibre has been cut,” Sam George explained.
According to the Minister, road construction is currently the single biggest source of damage to Ghana’s telecommunications infrastructure.
He attributed the high rate of fibre cuts to the aggressive expansion of road projects under the government’s Big Push programme, which has increased the risk of underground fibre cables being damaged during construction.
“The biggest source of fibre cuts is from the Big Push project because the Ministry of Roads is carrying out an aggressive project to construct roads across the country,” he said.
Sam George explained that while road contractors frequently report fibre damage when it occurs, the situation is different in illegal mining areas, where damaged infrastructure is often not reported to telecommunications operators or the relevant authorities.
The Minister disclosed that illegal mining activities account for approximately 25 percent of fibre cuts nationwide, describing galamsey as an increasingly serious threat to the telecommunications sector.
He said illegal miners often damage underground fibre cables during mining operations without notifying the affected telecommunications companies.
“Twenty-five percent of fibre cuts are a result of galamsey. The telecom industry is one of the worst hit by the activities of galamsey operators. They just go in and make cuts. Road contractors will often report fibre cuts but galamsey operators won’t report it, and that is a real challenge to the sector,” he said.
The Minister noted that fibre damage has remained a major challenge for Ghana’s telecommunications industry over the past several years.
The country recorded about 3,900 fibre cuts in 2021, more than 10,000 in 2022, over 6,000 in 2023, more than 5,600 in 2024, and approximately 8,000 in 2025.
With 8,578 incidents already recorded in 2026, Sam George said Ghana could record close to 9,000 fibre-cut incidents by the end of the year if the current trend continues.
Frequent fibre cuts not only disrupt telecommunications services but also impose significant financial costs on network operators.
When fibre infrastructure is damaged, telecommunications companies are required to deploy technical teams and equipment to locate the affected section, repair the cable and restore services.
Despite the challenges, the Minister said the government remained committed to expanding telecommunications infrastructure and improving network coverage across the country.
He disclosed that the government had revised its target for new telecommunications sites from 50 in 2025 to 800 in 2026.
The expansion, he said, forms part of broader efforts to improve connectivity and ensure that more communities across Ghana have access to reliable telecommunications services.